Sesame Street turns 45 this year, and this past Tuesday, Sesame Workshop hosted a digital playground event in New York City to show off new apps, e-books, and other multimedia offerings for children age 5 and younger. During the morning-long event, several dozen little ones got to play test the latest in Sesame Street-branded games, which were set up at iPad stations. They also watched long- and short-format clips of Sesame Street online, courtesy of the brand’s latest digital video platforms.

During his welcome to guests, Scott Chambers, senior vice president of worldwide media distribution for Sesame Workshop, said that Sesame Street currently has an audience of roughly 5 million viewers on PBS. However, he pointed out that among the most recent generation of viewers, 63 percent of that audience is introduced to the program digitally; hence, Sesame Workshop’s latest efforts to develop the brand across a number of digital platforms.

Chambers, along with guest speakers Cookie Monster and Alan Muraoka of Sesame Street fame, took turns emphasizing the importance of self-regulation for kids–a theme reflected in several apps on-hand. One of the newest, Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame, teaches kids ages 2 to 5 how to deal with tough emotions by letting them play as a cute horned monster. Kids are presented with a choice of problem scenarios, such as having trouble getting dressed or getting ready for school, and then a choice of possible solutions. [Read more...]

Funko has a new license with Sesame Workshop to create a series of Sesame Street Pop! Vinyl figures. The partnership will launch at this month’s New York Comic Con with the first to market release of a Super Grover Pop! Vinyl figure, which stands 3.75 inches tall and comes in a window display box. The Super Grover Pop! Vinyl figure will be available for sale at Toy Tokyo’s New York Comic Con Booth.

A complete Sesame Street Pop! series will follow next year. The Sesame Street Pop! series will include Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar, The Count, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Grover.

“As a company, we feel that the Sesame Street license is a fantastic way to bring our older customers back to their youth, while at the same time introducing our fun new line of collectables to younger generations,” says Andrew Perlmutter, vice president of sales.

Happy holidays, everybody! In honor of May 15, aka National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, named after the delectable treat invented at a Massachusetts restaurant during the 1930s, here are some toys featuring either the real thing or a synthetic one.

It was a little surprising to find so many playthings featuring the classic snack, but it makes sense: First, the chocolate chip cookie is every bit as iconic as any character in kids’ licensing. Secondly, in general, little kids are as passionate for cookies as they are for toys, so a cookie-based toy lets them have their cake and eat it, too (though not literally, unless you add a few extra eggs into the batter. But I digress).

Either way, these items gladden our hearts and make our mouths water just by looking at them:

New Sprouts Bake It!, from Learning Resources: This 15-piece collection of baking tools lets kids indulge their ambitions with baking sheets, large bowl, measuring cup, and more. Best of all, the set comes with four toy chocolate chip cookies, which kids can practice lifting off the baking sheet with the toy spatula (A good skill to have mastered before eventually moving on to the real thing). Suitable for kids ages 2 and up. [Read more...]

Wicked Cool Toys has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop for summer and seasonal toys based on classic Sesame Street legacy characters, including Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby. The licensing agreement covers North America, and the line is expected to include balls, hoppers, sprinklers, and sandboxes. These items will begin arriving at retail next spring.

“We are thrilled to be working with the talented entertainment innovators at Sesame Workshop, and to bring a line of engaging seasonal, sand, and water toys to market beginning next year,” said Jeremy Padawer, co-president of Wicked Cool Toys.

New Products

Buffalo Games will develop adult and family board games and card games based on the National Geographic Channel series, Brain Games. The Joester Loria Group served as the exclusive licensing agency behind the deal. The initial product offering will require that players complete a series of challenges and experiments intended to test all aspects of [...]

Two familiar faces from the Marvel Universe—one friendly, the other slightly less so—make their way into Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition) today. Fans will be able to purchase figures for Falcon and Loki, who join a variety of Marvel super heroes, Disney fan favorites, and more to create all-new adventures.

LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin is available now from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, and The Lego Group. Available in all major retail stores across North America for the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita, the game is based on the LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu TV series.

In anticipation of the new movie, Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Funko is will be re-releasing previously vaulted Star Wars Pop! until the film arrives in theaters on December 18. The re-released Pop! will come in special edition packaging that distinguishes them from the original items. Available in stores this April, Greedo is [...]

Playability Toys has officially launched Pigsy, an educational gaming app that teaches basic financial literacy. Later versions will include unique personalization features intended to make learning engaging and fun.